CMFR to close operations on Sept. 30 over ‘funding environment’

Inquirer.net - Sep 18, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Press freedom and journalism watchdog Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) has announced that it will be closing down its operations effective Sept. 30. “Philippine and international funding support has sustained the work of CMFR,” the center said in a statement on its social media page on Friday. “But, multiple factors

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Gatchalian flags P295-M fees paid due to transport project delays

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Gatchalian flags P295-M fees paid due to transport project delays

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian flagged on Friday P295 million in commitment fees paid by the government for major transport foreign-assisted projects that have long been delayed or failed to secure loans from development banks. Gatchalian flagged the delayed projects during the Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) budget

WATCH: Oil price hike leads INQToday’s top stories

Sep 18, 2026

WATCH: Oil price hike leads INQToday’s top stories

MANILA, Philippines – A big-time oil price hike expected next week leads the top stories on INQToday afternoon edition, along with the defense team of former President Rodrigo Duterte seeking to have eight alleged killings removed from his International Criminal Court case. READ: Diesel seen up by as much as P10.50 per liter next week

SEA Games probe: NBI weighs in on filing complaints to DOJ or Ombudsman

Sep 18, 2026

SEA Games probe: NBI weighs in on filing complaints to DOJ or Ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is studying whether to file the complaint regarding the alleged misuse of up to P10 billion in funds for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA) in the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc)’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to the Department of Justice

PNP confident no more riots in Sept. 21 protests

Sep 18, 2026

PNP confident no more riots in Sept. 21 protests

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday said it was confident there would be no riots during the expected protest actions this coming Sept. 21, compared to the violent incidents seen last year. “Malaki ang kumpiyansa natin,” PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said in a press briefing in Camp

Catholic bishops hope Mindanao moves forward together after BARMM polls

Sep 18, 2026

Catholic bishops hope Mindanao moves forward together after BARMM polls

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Friday expressed hope that the people of Mindanao “move forward together” in light of its recently concluded first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections. “As the BARMM enters a new chapter, we appeal especially to its leaders: make the Bangsamoro

How four Filipino developers turned a late-night idea into Rhythm Rat Rampage

Sep 18, 2026

How four Filipino developers turned a late-night idea into Rhythm Rat Rampage

There was no grand concept behind Rhythm Rat Rampage. Basika Games had no elaborate pitch for a rhythm game that would eventually combine music, bullet-heaven combat, and roguelite systems. It started with a late-night conversation. The Basika Games team started when Amiel Suarez and Miguel Querubin were simply talking about making a rhythm game when

CMFR to close operations on Sept. 30 over ‘funding environment’

Sep 18, 2026

CMFR to close operations on Sept. 30 over ‘funding environment’

MANILA, Philippines — Press freedom and journalism watchdog Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) has announced that it will be closing down its operations effective Sept. 30. “Philippine and international funding support has sustained the work of CMFR,” the center said in a statement on its social media page on Friday. “But, multiple factors

Korea Times University Rankings focus on universities' internationalization capabilities

Sep 18, 2026

Korea Times University Rankings focus on universities' internationalization capabilities

The Korea Times University Rankings 2027 focus on universities’ internationalization capabilities rather than their overall institutional strength. Unlike comprehensive rankings such as QS and Times Higher Education (THE), which place greater emphasis on reputation and research, The Korea Times rankings evaluate the diverse resources and achievements of universities from an internationalization perspective. Through the assessment, The Korea Times aims to help international students considering studying in Korea make informed choices and promote healthy competition among universities to strengthen their internationalization capabilities. Differences in evaluation method The Korea Times excluded the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) from its University Rankings, although both rank among Korea’s top universities in global rankings. The exclusion was based on a comprehensive consideration of the number of international students, institutional size and regional balance among Korean universities. In the QS

Evaluation criteria revised to better assess universities' internationalization

Sep 18, 2026

Evaluation criteria revised to better assess universities' internationalization

The Korea Times has revised the evaluation criteria for its University Rankings 2027 to provide a more comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the internationalization of Korean universities. This year’s evaluation expanded its coverage from 54 universities last year to 60, while increasing the total score from 190 points across 18 indicators to 200 points across 19 indicators. Notably, The Korea Times introduced a new indicator measuring the proportion of full-time international faculty. It also changed the calculation method for the academic retention rate of international students, focusing the measure on degree-seeking students, and refined the evaluation period for research performance. The new international faculty indicator, worth 10 points, is designed to strengthen the assessment of internationalization in the education and research environment, marking the biggest change in this year’s rankings. Accordingly, the education category’s score increased from 60 points to 70 points. The category now consists of seven indicators, including the ratio of degree-seeking internationa

New indicators sharpen focus on quality over quantity in university globalization

Sep 18, 2026

New indicators sharpen focus on quality over quantity in university globalization

Academics and industry observers said revision to The Korea Times University Rankings 2027 represent a meaningful step forward, with updated indicators that offer a more comprehensive measure of university internationalization. This year’s revisions placed greater emphasis on faculty diversity, student success and sustained research collaboration. Shin Jang-sup, a professor of economics at the National University of Singapore, said the overall framework has improved from last year, highlighting the addition of an indicator measuring the proportion of international full-time faculty, as well as changes to the international student retention indicator. “Including the international student retention rate is a very desirable change,” Shin said. “It strengthens the rankings’ focus on evaluating universities from the perspective of international students.” Seo Myeong-seok, managing director of the Korea Advancing Schools Foundation, also emphasized that the revisions have strengthened the overall framework. He pointed to the introduction of the international full-time faculty ratio,

Universities need to do more to support international students

Sep 18, 2026

Universities need to do more to support international students

Internationalization is no longer an option for Korean universities but a necessity for their survival, as the nation’s higher education system faces an unprecedented structural transformation. Yet The Korea Times University Rankings 2027 reveal a stark reality: Korean universities still have a long way to go to achieve full-fledged internationalization. Universities have met the basic requirements for internationalization. But investment in faculty recruitment and student support has failed to keep pace with the increasing number of international students, while graduate outcomes remain weak. The Korea Times launched the university rankings last year to assess the level of internationalization among domestic universities. This year’s rankings covered 60 universities using 19 indicators in four categories: education, research, student support and graduate outcomes. Universities were assessed on a 200-point scale, with 70 points allocated to education, 50 points to research, 40 points to student support and 40 points to graduate outcomes. The education category saw the strongest overall

Top Korean universities hold firm as new contenders gain ground

Sep 18, 2026

Top Korean universities hold firm as new contenders gain ground

Korea University retained the top spot in The Korea Times University Rankings 2027 for the second consecutive year, as the country’s leading universities largely held their ground while Sejong University emerged as the biggest mover in the top 10. First launched last year, The Korea Times University Rankings aim to look beyond the number of international students to assess how well universities are building the broader ecosystem needed for globalization. This year’s results suggest that while Korean universities have made progress in attracting and managing international students, many still lag in areas such as international faculty, financial support and post-graduation outcomes. The disparity was evident across the four evaluation areas. Universities performed strongest in education, while scores were lower in student support and lowest in graduate outcomes, underscoring the challenge of building an environment that supports international students not only upon arrival but throughout their studies and beyond graduation. Korea University topped the rankings with 149.52 points out o

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